Clippers coach Doc Rivers is joined by other newcomers and players who re-signed. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports

by Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports

by Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports

As Doc Rivers watched the introductory press conference of his new-look Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, his role as the team's chemistry teacher had already begun.

He was worried that newly re-signed point guard Chris Paul would field all the questions from the news media, and that new additions J.J. Redick, Jared Dudley and Darren Collison wouldn't feel like they belonged or that returnees Matt Barnes and Ryan Hollins would be ignored.

This is what Rivers did so well during his time with the Boston Celtics - managing the team dynamic, juggling egos and building a unified spirit during those nine seasons that came to an end last month. And the media, strangely enough, set the tone on this day for a team that expects to be a force.

"Everybody got interviewed at the same time," Rivers told USA TODAY Sports by phone afterward. "And you know what's funny is that the questions were about even. I thought that was great, but it surprised me. I was concerned going into it that every question would go to Chris. Shoot, everybody was asked about an even amount of questions.

"Having all those guys on the stage, and understanding that Chris is the key guy on stage today but they're all key to us winning, I thought that was very important. None of them are going to do it alone, and doing it as a group is what we have to do to be good."

So how good can these Clippers be? "I know what I think we can be, and I think that we have a realistic chance of being the winner at the end of the year," Rivers said.

If the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs reminded their contemporaries of anything during their respective runs to the NBA Finals, it's that reaching that stage is never as simple as collecting stars and watching talent win out. Togetherness and a singular focus are paramount, and so it was that the Clippers did the most unorthodox of deals (Rivers for a 2015 first-round pick) to bring a coach into their program who understands that as well as anyone.

PAUL SWAYED BY RIVERS

While this entire plan goes nowhere without Paul being in the fold, Rivers is right there with him when it comes to key offseason additions.

The Clippers wanted to become more than a passing fancy in the loaded Western Conference, more than the team that set a franchise record by winning 56 games but regressed when it mattered most by falling to the Memphis Grizzlies in six games in the first round.

They wanted to be more than the best team in Los Angeles, a goal that was already accomplished last season, and it appears to divide between the teams is only widening with Dwight Howard bolting the Lakers for Houston. And in this era where the Big Three model that Rivers' Celtics started is so trendy, the Clippers want to do it differently.

Paul and forward Blake Griffin are stars, but this goes way beyond them now. Natural scorer Jamal Crawford remains, as does tantalizing big man DeAndre Jordan. They are deep and talented and dangerous. And with Paul eschewing boundless opportunities elsewhere to sign the five-year, $107 million to return, they are as intriguing as they come.

"You know, I was already pretty much leaning to come back here anyway, but (getting) Doc definitely secured that decision," Paul told USA TODAY Sports by phone. "I'll say this about Doc - having Doc as the coach doesn't automatically translate to wins, but what I think it does is it gives you an opportunity to win, and so I'm just excited about his basketball knowledge and how passionate he is about the game.

"I think we brought in a little bit more shooting. We've got a lot of grinders. We have guys who have been in this league just grinding it out, hard-nosed, guys that also are hungry and excited to be here."

SHOOTERS PARADISE

Redick, who came to the Clippers via a sign-and-trade deal from Milwaukee and was given a four-year, $27 million deal in the process, is right there with him.

When he sat down with Rivers for a sushi dinner in Los Angeles on the first night of free agency, he didn't have to be sold as much as he felt obligated to sell himself. Redick was desperate to get back to a contender, having been a key member of the Howard-led Orlando Magic teams that made the Finals in 2009 and the Eastern Conference Finals in 2010.

"Because I knew it was a complicated situation to trade (Eric) Bledsoe and do the sign-and-trade, I felt like I had to sell myself a little bit," Redick told USA TODAY Sports. "One of the things I said to (Rivers) was, 'I want to get back to being on a team that wins and wins big.'

"He sold me when he said that he was going to run some (offensive) stuff for me that they used to run for Ray Allen. I mean I remember for five years chasing Ray around in Boston, and I think that's what we're both about - the winning aspect, the competitiveness complements each other and the offensive system that he will have along with (associate head) coach (Alvin) Gentry, is going to be great for me and for Jared (Dudley). It's going to be nice."

For his fellow shooter, Dudley, this was a chance to revisit his best of days with the Phoenix Suns while playing near his hometown in San Diego. With Gentry the head coach at the time, he was part of the Steve Nash-led group that fell in the Western Conference Finals in 2010 but had since entered a rebuilding stage.

"An opportunity like this doesn't happen, and when you get it you've got to grab it," Dudley told USA TODAY Sports. "To play on this team with Chris Paul, who - like Steve - is one of the best point guards around. Blake is similar to Amar'e (Stoudemire), where his pick and roll is a threat so it opens up shooting and space. Then you add Doc Rivers, and that's just icing on the cake.

"I think the chemistry and how quickly we can all come together is going to be key. Obviously the top two teams (Miami and San Antonio), the reason they're so good is they have star power and they've played awhile together. We have star power, but we haven't played (together) a while. But Doc will help with that transition."